LSM Newswire

Monday, March 31, 2008

Protest at CBC Vancouver on April 1

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contemporary composer Anita Sleeman of West Vancouver, BC is spearheading a protest on Tuesday morning at 10am at the CBC building Temporary Entrance, 775 Cambie Street in Vancouver. She is asking everyone who disagrees with the elimination of the CBC Orchestra to attend, including musicians, listeners, and members of the public.

"Composers depend on the skill and dedication of such performers as the CBC Radio Orchestra for the production of their compositions, music which presents unique techniques and concept approaches, beyond the requirements of the mainstream repertoire. Discontinuing this ensemble is putting musical creation back into the nineteenth century."

"The CBC belongs to the people of Canada, not a political party. The President of CBC was a Harper appointee. If the people of Canada don't want the public purse raided, we must stand up to this cultural tyranny."

For more information contact: thinkAbstract@shaw.cawww.anitasleeman.com

Friday, March 28, 2008

Canadian Music Centre and Canadian League of Composers Shocked By Decision to Disband CBC Radio Orchestra

March 28, 2008, Toronto, ON ĺ─ýToday, the Canadian Music Centre and the Canadian League of Composers, are trying to come to terms with the CBC Radio's decision to disband its orchestra ĺ─ý the last radio orchestra still functioning in North America. This announcement, made privately yesterday in Vancouver with less than a 24 hour notice to the orchestra's musicians, has left much of the Canadian musical community questioning the broadcaster's commitment to both classical music and its own broader cultural mandate.

Elisabeth Bihl, CMC Executive Director, believes that "the decision to disband the CBC Radio Orchestra must have been a decision made with little to no input from the Canadian public or our music community. The orchestra may have been around for some 70 years - but since when is longevity equated automatically with having already served its purpose?"

She further states that "the need for CBC Radio to fulfill its mandate to showcase Canadian talent has not evaporated with time. If CBC management can simply destroy such a vitally important infrastructure for Canadian talent, then it must be held publicly accountable. As a government funded institution, it must see beyond its immediate actions of budget cutting and pursue its mandate cultural role ĺ─ý for the benefit of all Canadians."

Jennifer McGuire, Executive Director of CBC English Radio, indicated yesterday that the money "saved" as a result of this decision will be used more efficiently by spending it on other Radio 2 musical programs. While also asserting that CBC Radio was still committed to innovative and creative Canadian music, she made no concrete indication that this funding would be used to directly support future classical music programming.

As organizations focused on the promotion of Canadian composers and their work, the Canadian Music Centre and Canadian League of Composers, see this most recent CBC Radio announcement as yet another in a series of decisions made without input from the communities to which the broadcaster is ultimately accountable ĺ─ý both its listeners and the broader Canadian public. Sadly, the disbanding of the CBC Radio Orchestra came as a fait-a-compli news yesterday afternoon.

Ms. Bihl feels that the following statement made today (via e-mail) by Sarah Davis Buechner, a piano professor at the University, all too accurately sums up this situation: "It is a sad day in the history of this country when artists have to stand up to defend their contributions against the very institutions which were founded to foster cultural understanding, emotional connection and pride in the Canadian national character."

Established in 1959, the Canadian Music Centre exists to stimulate the awareness, appreciation and performance of Canadian music, making the music of its Associate Composers available through its music libraries and through various promotional and outreach activities. The CMC is Canada's primary information resource, producer, distributor of concert music and sound recordings.

Founded in 1951, the Canadian League of Composers is the oldest organization in Canada that speaks for professional composers in an official capacity. It represents the interests of composers, monitoring and influencing the conditions that affect their livelihood and public image.

Friends of the Kotzschmar Organ Celebrate the Legacy of Hermann Kotzschmar - April 15

PORTLAND, Maine ĺ─ý The Friends of the Kotzschmar Organ will celebrate the Legacy of Hermann Kotzschmar, Portland's pre-eminent musician of the late 19th century and the organ's namesake, on Tuesday, April 15, 2008. This marks the 100th anniversary of Hermann Kotzschmar's death.

Choirs from First Parish Church UU, Portland; First Parish Church, UCC, Brunswick; St. Luke's Cathedral, Portland and Woodfords Congregational Church will join the Organists and Directors for this special celebration.

Hermann Kotzschmar, a German native, moved to Portland in 1849, where he worked as organist at First Parish Church Unitarian Universalist for 47 years, and as a choral conductor in Portland. Kotzschmar was a talented musician, composing music as well as instructing hundreds of students at the "Kotzschmar Piano School" for more than 50 years. His great friend, Cyrus H. Curtis, donated the Kotzschmar Organ to the City of Portland as a permanent fixture of City Hall in memory of Hermann Kotzschmar.

Admission is a suggested $12 at the door; under 21 free.

About the Kotzschmar OrganThe Kotzschmar Memorial Organ, built in 1912 by the Austin Organ Company of Hartford Connecticut, is this nation's oldest working municipal organ. With 5 manuals for the hands, a 32-note pedal board, 6857 pipes from Čç inch to 32 feet in length, 87 stops, 101 ranks, it is truly one of this nation's musical treasures.

About Friends of the Kotzschmar OrganFriends of the Kotzschmar Organ was founded in 1981 as a result of the city of Portland's need to withdraw funding for the organ due to financial limitations. Today, dedicated to the preservation and promotion of the Kotzschmar Organ, the Friend's responsibilities include raising funds, presenting concerts and educational programs and engaging the services of a Municipal Organist.

For more information on any of the concerts contact Friends of the Kotzschmar Organ Executive Director Kathleen Grammer, 207-883-4234 or visit www.foko.org.

Karen Kain announces she is stepping down as Canada Council Chair

Ottawa, March 28, 2008 ĺ─ý Karen Kain, Chair of the Canada Council since September 2004, announced today she is stepping down on March 31 to dedicate herself completely to her full-time job as Artistic Director of the National Ballet of Canada.

"I accepted this position because I passionately believe in the essential role of the Canada Council and thought I would be able to devote sufficient time, attention and energy to it," she said in a letter to the Minister of Canadian Heritage. "Since my subsequent appointment as Artistic Director of the National Ballet of Canada, I have found it increasingly difficult to do justice to both positions."

"It is with regret that I accept Ms. Kain's resignation. Over the past three and a half years, she has contributed greatly to the successes of the Canada Council for the Arts," said Josłęe Verner, Minister of Canadian Heritage, Status of Women and Official Languages. "However, I understand her desire to fully direct her energy to her work with the National Ballet of Canada. I offer my sincere thanks for the leadership Ms. Kain has provided and wish her the very best in her future endeavours."

Ms. Kain described her experience at the Canada Council as "deeply rewarding" and thanked the federal government for increasing its financial support to the Canada Council during her tenure as Chair. The government announced last July that the Council's annual parliamentary appropriation would be increased by $30 million on an ongoing basis, following a one-time increase of $50 million over two years. Ms. Kain also presided over the celebration of the Canada Council's 50th anniversary in 2007 and, most recently, the development of a new Strategic Plan and Action Plan to guide the Council's activities over the next three years.

"I have been deeply honoured to have had the opportunity to lead the Canada Council for the Arts, which is one of the most important public institutions in the country," she said. "I am particularly proud of the Council's 50th anniversary year, when we drew attention to the outstanding Canadian artists and arts organizations that have contributed so much to the lives of Canadians, with Council support. I am also grateful for the appointment of a new Director in Robert Sirman, who has brought a new dynamic to the Canada Council at this important time in its history."

Under the Canada Council's governance policy, Vice-Chair Simon Brault will assume the official duties of the position until a new Chair is appointed by the federal government. The Chair's responsibilities include presiding at meetings of the Council's 11-member Board and representing the Council in its relations with the government, Parliament and the public.

Moses Znaimer Calls Frustrated CBC Radio 2 Listeners

For immediate release ĺ─ý Wednesday, March 26, 2008

ATTENTION CBC Radio 2 CLASSICAL MUSIC LISTENERS!KEEP CALM AND CARRY ONThere Is An All Classical Alternative: www.classical963fm.com"CBC Management should have the right to manage! In any case, they cannot be held hostage tothe claim that there is no other source for classical music in English Canada."ĺ─ý Moses Znaimer, Zoomer and Proprieter, The New Classical 96.3 FM

Calling all frustrated CBC Radio 2 listeners! Media innovator and ZoomerMoses Znaimer, proprietor of The NewClassical 96.3 FM and 103.1 FM (in the Greater Toronto Area) wants Canadians in search of classical music to know that they DO have an alternative. Across Canada, and worldwide, classical music is available around the clock at http://www.classical963fm.com and for Bell ExpressVu's 1.8 million subscribers, on Channel 963.

Since its official re-launch in September 2007, Moses has dramatically transformed the content, look, and sound of The New Classical 96.3 FM and 103.1 FM, starting with Live in The Concert Lobby, a series of live and interactive hours of 'Concert and Conversation' with the greatest artists on the world stage today! These exclusive and high-profile performances have quickly established The New Classical 96.3 FM as a premier promotional stop for every major classical artist on tour. Most recently listeners were treated to the exquisite sounds of piano marvels Lang Lang and Yundi Li who performed to packed houses of VIPs and members of the Classical 96.3 FM Classical Club, now standing at 15,000 members and growing.Past performers have included vocal superstars Measha Brueggergosman and Ben Heppner; violinist Lara St. John; The Gryphon Trio; The Canadian Brass; and pre-eminent pianists Angela Hewitt and Leif Ove Andsnes.

Other station innovations include revitalized morning, drive-home and late-night shows with the station's CJs (Classical Jocks); the re-introduction of vocal music; and more themed weekend programming including a By-Request Hour and Sunday Night At The Opera.The New Classical 96.3 FM is also the premiere source for the breaking news in the classical music world. In addition to the usual up to the minute news, traffic and weather, there is information on the arts: season announcements, special concerts and awards ceremonies. On the horizon, Moses plans to dispatch "The Classical Corps", a battalion of mobile young reporters who will cover a multitude of cultural events. A classical music game show is also in the works. There you have it ĺ─ý the future of classical music in Canada is alive and well at The New Classical 96.3 FM. Moses Znaimer invites all classical music lovers to turn on and tune in anywhere in Canada, and the world.

AT THE NEW CLASSICAL 96.3 FM, IT'S ALL CLASSICAL, ALL THE TIMETune in to the next "Live in The Concert Lobby" event:TOMORROW! Thursday, March 27 from 12noon ĺ─ý 1pmCanadian Vocal Sensations Baritone Russell Braun and Tenor Michael Schade

TSO April Concerts

Roll over Beethoven,

make room for the Chairman of the Board!

The Toronto Symphony Orchestra

Celebrates Sinatra!

Other April Highlights include

Opera Favourites and Tchaikovsky Symphony 4

The Toronto Symphony Orchestra's Pops Concert Series continues with Celebrate Sinatra, a swinging tribute to the blue-eyed legend from Hoboken. Cincinnati's Jeff Tyzik joins the TSO as guest conductor for the evening's concert, which also features guest vocalist Steve Lippia on scooby-dooby-duties. The programme covers all the classic tunes that made Frankie a legend, from Come Fly with Me and All the Way, to New York, New York and That's Life. There will be three performances only, April 22 at 8pm, April 23 at 2pm and 8pm.

On April 25, Alain Trudel concludes the Toronto Symphony Youth Orchestra's season with the "little one", Beethoven's Symphony No. 8, and a rousing performance of Shostakovich's popular work, Symphony No. 5.

On April 26 and 27, passion, drama, and epic adventure reign as guest conductor James Gaffigan leads soprano Sally Dibblee, rising tenor (and one of the judges of Bravo's Bathroom Divas) Luc Robert, and the TSO through some of the most popular operas ever written, including works by Mozart, Verdi, Puccini, Wagner, Rossini, and more. Opera Favourites features operatic overtures, duets, and interludes from La Bohł«me, The Barber of Seville, Tristan and Isolde, and many others.

Tuesday, March 25, 2008

Choral Art Society to Present Rachmaninoff's All-Night Vigil

PORTLAND, Maine ĺ─ý The Choral Art Society (CAS) singers will present Sergei Rachmaninoff's beautiful a cappella All-Night Vigil on Sunday, May 4 at 3:00 p.m. at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, located at 307 Congress Street in Portland.All advance tickets are $15, admission at the door will be $20.

All-Night Vigil is an a cappella choral composition written and originally premiered in 1915.It is one of Rachmaninoff's most admired works, as well as one of his personal favorites.The piece is comprised of the settings of texts taken from the Russian Orthodox liturgical services, and is widely considered "the greatest musical achievement of the Russian Orthodox Church." The a cappella chorus is so richly textured that the blending of singers' voices evokes the sound of an orchestra.

Sunday's performance at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception is sponsored by the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church in Portland .Tickets are available through CAS and all CAS ticket outlets, call 207-828-0043 or visit www.choralart.org for more information.

In addition to Sunday's performance, CAS will also perform All-Night Vigil on Saturday, May 3 at 8:00 p.m. at the Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul, 27 Bartlett Street in Lewiston , Maine .Suggested donations at the door will benefit the Basilica's organ restoration fund. There is a third performance planned for Saturday, May 10th at 7:30 p.m. at the St. Vasilios Greek Orthodox Church, 5 Paleologos Street in Peabody, Massachusetts.

About The Choral Art Society:The Society has more than 150 members who perform in three distinct ensembles: the symphonic Masterworks Chorus, the mid-sized Choral Art Singers, and the intimate a cappella Camerata. All singers are skilled amateurs, selected by audition. The Society offers an annual concert series and appears regularly as guests of the Portland Symphony Orchestra. Robert Russell, professor of music at the University of Southern Maine , is the conductor and artistic director of The Choral Art Society.

Music at Sharon Festival

MUSIC AT SHARON CONCERT SERIES

RETURNS FOR FOUR DELIGHTFUL SUNDAY AFTERNOONS THIS JUNE

After the tremendous success of last year's festival, Music at Sharon will be back again this summer! For the second year Stephen Cera has been appointed as artistic director to create a musical feast inspired by the Temple's history and designed to showcase its extraordinary acoustics. The festival offers high quality summer concerts not found anywhere else in Ontario, thus providing a unique musical experience to the residents of Toronto and the GTA.

Beloved Quebec soprano Suzie LeBlanc will open the festival with "Songs of Earth and Heaven" on Sunday, June 1, at 3pm. She was recently described by The Australian as "Čńa singer of the highest quality, she dazzled and entranced with her impeccable vocal control and a sound of wonderful beautyČńThis was music-making to live for." The concert programme includes songs by Mozart, Poulenc, Faure, Debussy, Messiaen, and Weill, all accompanied on the piano by Robert Kortgaard.

The second concert of the festival will commemorate the 100th anniversary of the birth of Olivier Messiaen. Pianist Louise Bessette, violinist Olivier Thouin, cellist Yegor Dyachkov, and clarinetist Simon Aldrich will present the Quartet for the End of Time. Also on the bill is a world premiere by the young Quebec composer Nicolas Gilbert. An homage to Messiaen, this new work is scored for the sameinstrumentation as the Quartet. Beethoven's youthful Clarinet Trio in B-flat, Opus 11, will complete the programme on Sunday, June 8, at 3pm.

Works by Mozart, Ibert, Poulenc, Eliot Weisgarber, and Gershwin will be explored by the award winning pianist Sara Davis Buechner on Sunday, June 15, at 3pm. The Washington Post enthused: "Buechner's performance had a beauty that might have taken even Mozart's breath away." Buechner, a consummate performer, is always charming and engaging on stage.

A very special concert, titled "Beginning to See the Light", with a start time of 6pm on Sunday, June 22, will close the festival. Celebrating their 10th Anniversary, True North Brass initially burst on to the scene in 1997, and has since solidified its reputation as one of the world's finest brass ensembles. Proudly Canadian in focus and expression with an international outlook, they will perform a delightful mix of classical, traditional, Canadian and jazz music including the historic Tunes of the Sharon Band. The concert, marking the Summer Solstice, will take advantage of the unique spatial and architectural characteristics of the Sharon Temple by positioning the musicians on a balcony high above the performance space.

Stephen Cera is best known for his role as vice president, concert music programming, with Toronto's Livent Inc. where he developed the distinguished concert season at the George Weston Recital Hall from 1991 - 2000. His connection to Sharon dates back to the late-80s when, as a CBC Radio music producer, he recorded for broadcast a series of performances in the Temple, including the Orford Quartet and renowned Italian pianist Aldo Ciccolini.

A national historic site, the Sharon Temple of the Children of Peace was built from 1825 - 1831 by a group of former Quakers who called themselves the Children of Peace. The Temple was designed to represent their vision of a society based on the values of peace, equality, and social justice. The annual summer concert series was founded to celebrate the Temple's 150th anniversary and lasted initially from 1981 to 1990. Audiences will once again have the opportunity to experience the musical delights of this intimate 230-seat venue that topped the Toronto Star's 2006 list of essential Canadian architecture.

The Sharon Temple Museum Society presents

MUSIC AT SHARON CONCERT SERIES

Artistic Director Stephen Cera

June 1 - June 22, 2008

Temple of the Children of Peace

18974 Leslie Street in Sharon, ON

north of Newmarket near the northern terminus of Hwy. 404

Free Parking

Sunday, June 1, at 3pm: SUZIE LeBLANC, soprano

Sunday, June 8, at 3pm: MESSIAEN CENTENARY CONCERT

Sunday, June 15, at 3pm: SARA DAVIS BUECHNER, piano

Sunday, June 22, at 6pm: TRUE NORTH BRASS, quintet

Tickets $45

Subscription for all four concerts $150 o Group discounts available

TICKETS ON SALE NOW!

Call the Toronto Symphony Orchestra Customer Service Centre at 416.597.7840

Monday, March 24, 2008

A new song cycle by acclaimed composer Lori Laitman, commissioned to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the tragic deaths of Martin Luther King, Jr. and Robert F. Kennedy, will premiere on April 18, 2008 at HarvardUniversity in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

For this commission by the Lyrica Society for Word-Music Relations, Laitman selected two unpublished poems which reflect on life, death and the notion of legacy.Titled "And Music Shall Not End," the cycle includes the works of poets Anne Ranasinghe and John Wood.

Holocaust-survivor Anne Ranasinghe's poem, "Partial Lunar Eclipse, September 7th, 2006," reflects on the mystery and timelessness of the universe, as well as her realization that she is nearing the end of her life, while John Wood's poem, "A Pastoral Lament," dedicated to a colleague upon his death, is a message of love and grief and a celebration of an enduring legacy.

Mezzo Soprano D'Anna Fortunato will perform the works with composer Lori Laitman at the piano. The performance will be presented at the Lehman Hall Music Room of Dudley House, Harvard Yard, at 4pm on Friday, April 18, 2008. Admission to the event is free of charge.

Lori Laitman Seed of Dreams European Premiere April 2008

By Jona RapoportArtist Manager/PublicistMarch 24, 2008

"The Seed of Dream", Lori Laitman's song cycle for baritone, cello and piano, will have its overseas premiere at The Tolerance Center of the Vilna Gaon Jewish State Museum in Vilna, Lithuania. The powerful song cycle is based on five poems written by Abraham Sutzkever during his imprisonment in the Vilna Ghetto, and stand witness to the transcendent power of art in the face of unimaginable cruelty and brutality.

Commissioned by Music of Remembrance, a Seattle-based organization dedicated to remembering Holocaust musicians through their art, the cycle saw its premiere performance in May of 2005 at Benaroya Hall in Seattle, Washington. A recording of the song cycle will be released in April 2008 on the Naxos label.

A recent review of the cycle from the Journal of Singing is quoted as saying: "The American song composer, Lori Laitman, has been lauded by reviewers as one of the most extraordinary song composers working today, likening her to Ned Rorem. She has an innate ability to capture the essence of textual meaning, a keen perception of vocal nuance, and a lavish intellectual and musical vocabulary that she uses with a facile ease. It was with all of these extraordinary skills that she created a magnificent song cycle called The Seed of Dream..."

The concert, which will also include works by Brahms and Ulmann, takes place on April 29, 2008 in Vilna, with baritone Stein Skjervold, accompanied by pianist Rokas Subovas and cellist Mindaugas Backus.--------------------------30-----------

Pacific Opera presents REGINA, April 17-26

IN BRIEFPacific Opera Victoria presents the Canadian premiere of an Americanopera. Based on Lillian Hellman's 1939 play The Little Foxes, with asweeping cinematic score that blends jazz, ragtime, spirituals and blueswith hints of Copland and Bernstein, Marc Blitzstein's REGINA ispresented April 17, 19, 22, 24 and 26, 2008 at the Royal Theatre, 805Broughton Street in Victoria.

REGINA is performed in English with a running time of approximately 2 Čçhours with one intermission. All performances begin at 8pm. Pricedbetween $25 and $100, tickets are available from the Royal and McPhersonBox Office at (250) 386-6121, or on-line at www.rmts.bc.ca.

StudentRUSH tickets for those presenting valid student identification areavailable at the door of the theatre, 45 minutes prior to eachperformance, subject to availability. RUSH tickets are $15, inclusiveof all box office charges.

IN FULLPacific Opera Victoria provides a fresh, new experience for audienceswith the Canadian premiere of Marc Blitztein's REGINA. Based on LillianHellman's 1939 play, The Little Foxes, REGINA is presented April 17, 19,22, 24 and 26, 2008 at Victoria's Royal Theatre.

REGINA tells the gloriously toxic tale of a nouveau riche southernfamily who have fuelled their greed through cynical marriages, theexploitation of workers, and now theft and murder. Regina Giddens andher two brothers, Ben and Oscar Hubbard, scheme for money and power.When her ailing husband Horace opposes her plans, Regina denies him hisheart medication and he dies of a heart attack. Their daughterAlexandra, realizing the true cause of Horace's death, finds thestrength to leave her mother. Having double-crossed her brothers aswell, Regina is left wealthy but alone.

REGINA premiered on Broadway in 1949 to critical acclaim, but most agreethat this work really belongs in the opera house. With its sweepingcinematic score that blends jazz, ragtime, spirituals and blues withhints of Copland and Bernstein, REGINA is drenched in the language andmusic of America circa 1900. Blitzstein himself explained, "I wanted towrite something as real musically to Americans as Italian opera is tothe Italians".

Timothy Vernon conducts this Canadian premiere, which will be recordedby CBC Radio for future broadcast on "Saturday Afternoon at the Opera".Maestro Vernon has received national honours for his leadership inCanadian opera. His great musical acumen and passion have guidedPacific Opera Victoria since the company's inception, and his uniqueability to interpret new and existing works has engaged the communityand made POV a nationally recognized symbol of artistic excellence.Glynis Leyshon, Artistic Director of the Vancouver Playhouse and formerArtistic Director of the Belfry Theatre, returns to Victoria to directthe production with lighting designer Alan Brodie, costume designer ErinMacklem and choreographer Anne Wootten. Pam Johnson (POV's 1999 DonGiovanni) is creating a set that evokes the languid nostalgia of theAmerican South. This made-by-POV production of REGINA will be presentedby Utah Opera in January 2009.

Tallulah Bankhead described the role of Regina Giddens, which shecreated on Broadway, as "etched in acid". Her sensational performance inthe stage play The Little Foxes was followed by Bette Davis'sOscar-nominated portrayal in the 1941 film. "Regina is a tour-de-forcefor an actor and requires no less intensity from a singer", declaresTimothy Vernon, Artistic Director of Pacific Opera Victoria. "We havecontracted the finest opera actors for this Canadian premiere, many ofwhom have never performed with Pacific Opera Victoria, and we areespecially delighted to announce that Kimberly Barber will make both herrole and POV debut as Regina."

Kimberly Barber has performed throughout the world and is acclaimed forthe power and beauty of her voice and the intelligence and intensity ofher acting. She performs opposite another newcomer to POV, Dean Elzinga,as Horace Giddens. Mr. Elzinga has impressed the New York Times withthe "mesmerizing dramatic intensity" of his performances. They arejoined by Robyn Driedger-Klassen as their daughter, Alexandra, and byKathleen Brett (POV's Romłęo et Juliette) as Birdie, Tracie Luck asAddie, Doug MacNaughton (POV's The Tempest) and Gregory Dahl (POV's DonGiovanni) as Ben and Oscar, Lawrence Wiliford as Leo and DeAndre Simmonsas Cal. Victoria's jazz diva, Louise Rose, makes her POV debut as theappropriately named Jazz.

Performed in English with English surtitles, Pacific Opera Victoria'sproduction of REGINA runs April 17, 19, 22, 24 and 26, 2008 at theRoyal Theatre in Victoria. All performances begin at 8pm. Pricedbetween $25 and $100, tickets are available from the Royal and McPhersonBox Office at (250) 386-6121 or www.rmts.bc.ca.

Student RUSH tickets for those presenting valid student identificationare available at the door of the theatre, 45 minutes prior to eachperformance, subject to availability. RUSH tickets are $15, inclusiveof all box office charges.

For more information, please contact Pacific Opera Victoria at (250)385-0222 or visit www.pov.bc.ca.

Benjamin Zander Delivers Special Pre-Concert Talks for the TSO, April 3 and 5

The Toronto Symphony Orchestra is especially pleased to welcome the multi-talented Maestro Benjamin Zander to Toronto and Roy Thomson Hall in the first week of April. As a prominent Mahler interpreter and specialist, he will conduct Mahler's Symphony No. 5, as well as deliver pre-concert talks from the stage to all members of the audience.

After completing his studies at Harvard, Maestro Zander settled in Boston and in 1967 joined the New England Conservatory, where he teaches the Interpretation Class, conducts the Youth Philharmonic Orchestra, and regularly conducts the Conservatory's orchestras. In 1979 he became the conductor of the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra and in their 28 seasons together they have performed an extensive repertoire with an emphasis on late-Romantic and early-twentieth century composers, including Gustav Mahler's complete symphony cycle. To celebrate the orchestra's 25th anniversary in 2003-2004, the BPO completed an all-Mahler season, including a concert of Mahler's Second Symphony at Carnegie Hall.

Maestro Zander is currently recording Beethoven and Mahler Symphonies for the Telarc label with the Philharmonia Orchestra of London. His earlier Mahler recordings were awarded prizes from High Fidelity magazine, the Critic's Choice by the German Record Critic's Award Association, and a Grammy Award-nomination.

In addition to being an internationally renowned conductor, Zander is a respected teacher and speaker. He has an extensive speaking career, traveling the world lecturing to organizations on leadership. He was just presented with the Crystal Award for "outstanding contributions in the Arts and international relations" in Switzerland. His philosophy on teaching, conducting, and leadership are outlined in the best-selling book, The Art of Possibility, which he co-authored with his wife, Rosamund Stone Zander. It has already been translated into 16 languages.

On April 3 and 5 with the TSO, Maestro Zander will conduct Mahler's Symphony No. 5, as well as Mozart's Le nozze di Figaro Overture and final Piano Concerto, No. 27, K. 595, performed by 2008 Grammy Award-winner Garrick Ohlsson.

BENJAMIN ZANDER

SPECIAL PRE-CONCERT TALKS AT THE TORONTO SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

Thursday, April 3, 2008 from 7pm to 7:30pm (concert starts at 8pm)

Saturday, April 5, 2008 from 6:30pm to 7:00pm (concert starts at 7:30pm)

A Lie Of The Mind

Come take a ride down the big bad American road. Somewhere along theway you'll meet two dysfunctional families tied together by themarriage of their children.

A Lie Of The Mind examines the deceitful tricks the mind can play andthe harsh reality of being surrounded by alcoholism, domestic violenceand emotional instability. The play ties in one very importantuniversal truth, each of us is on a desperate search for love andpeace of mind.

Sunday, March 23, 2008

New Website for Producer/Host of Art Fine Living with Jona

For Immediate Release

March 23, 2008

New Website for Producer/Host of ArtFine Living with Jona

Jona Rapoport, the producer and host of Art & Fine Living with Jona on Radio Shalom, is thrilled to have launched her official website atwww.jonarapoport.com. The site features an extensive guest photo gallery, press releases and a section dedicated to her client, American art song and opera composer, Lori Laitman.

Art & Fine Living with Jona is an acclaimed weekly program dedicated to arts and culture, featuring insightful interviews with talents in dance, music, visual arts, theatre, cinemaand literature.The show also highlights upscale lifestyle trends and features the latest classical and jazz album releases.

PORTLAND SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA'S KINDERKONZERT SERIES PRESENTS DANCING WITH THE STRINGSIntroducing young children to instrument families and musical concepts

PORTLAND, Maine - The Portland Symphony Orchestra (PSO) continues its KinderKonzert series with "Dancing with the Strings," where kids will explore different styles of dance through music performed by a string quintet.The program opens on March 31 at South Hiram Elementary School and then travels to nine other locations in Maine and New Hampshire for a total of 25 performances.

"Dancing with Strings", narrated by Alex Ende, takes children on a trip back in time to discover how music has influenced dancing over time. Ende encourages and teaches the audience to move along with him to Renaissance Dances of the 1600's, gentle Minuets, jumping and kicking the Trepak, a popular Russian Dance, and the ballroom Waltz.The PSO Strings Quintet, comprised of 2 violins, viola, cello and bass, will demonstrate how music can tell a story in much the same way that words or pictures can.

KinderKonzerts are fun, interactive programs with Portland Symphony musicians where kids ages 3 - 7 can sing, dance, wiggle, clap, and have fun listening and learning about music and instruments. The Spring 2008 KinderKonzert concludes with "Percussion: Cowboy Ed Rides Again," May 9 through May 16.School systems can coordinate the KinderKonzert visit with Science and English Language Arts instruction in addition to Visual and Performing Arts. Specially prepared worksheets designed to support Maine's Learning Results are available online or by contacting the PSO.

KinderKonzerts are sponsored by Time Warner Cable.

Tickets for the Portland Symphony Orchestra's KinderKonzerts are $3. For additional information and reservations visit www.portlandsymphony.com or call (207) 773-6128.

Thursday, March 20, 2008

"We are castaways" The Backyardigans

THE BACKYARDIGANS FACE THEIR BIGGEST CHALLENGE YET:

A CROSS-CANADA TOUR!

"We're stuck where we are/With no house, no car/Castaways ahoy/

We are castaways Čń" - The Backyardigans, "Castaways"

After nearly four days stuck in Sydney Harbour aboard an ice-trapped ferry, with little more than granola bars and their indomitbale spirits to sustain them, The Backyardigans are back on land and headed to Fredricton for their re-scheduled show.

This recent real-life adventure is only one of a series of calamities that The Backyardigans have had to overcome since they first set out on their cross-Canada tour. They began the national tour of their stage show, QUEST FOR THE EXTRA ORDINARY ALIENS, last January in British Columbia. The tour quickly became a hot ticket, selling out major venues and delighting kids and parents alike.

As the tour progressed, it became clear The Backyardigans would need their sunny attitudes, unshakeable optimism and vivid imaginations more than ever! Snow-bound in Thunder Bay, they were forced to re-schedule their show in Sault Ste. Marie. Their fully-loaded equipment truck was then stolen in Montreal (later recovered but missing three high-end projectors) but a massive snow storm kept them in Montreal, forcing them to re-schedule their show in Saint John.

Another major blizzard held our intrepid friends captive in Windsor, which forced them to re-schedule their show in Gander. This past Monday, they were trapped on board a ferry firmly stuck in Sydney's ice-packed harbour, forcing them to re-schedule shows in Charlottetown and Fredericton.

On March 20, Canadian Coast Guard icebreaker Louis St. Laurent, Canada's largest icebreaker, rescued The Backyardigans from the ice-bound boat after nearly four days and helped deliver them to Fredericton in time for their show, re-scheduled for March 21.

Patrons with tickets for shows that have been postponed are encouraged to use their tickets forre-scheduled dates. Those unable to attend re-scheduled shows are asked to contact the venue box office for a full refund.

They've scaled the heights of Mt. Olympus, faced the notorious tickle-monster and protected the world from nasty evil-doers; they've survived the ice age, raging high seas, a blistering volcano and a dangerous mission to Mars Čń but nothing compares to the real-life adventures The Backyardigans have faced during their current cross-Canada tour!

Auditions for the OLO Opera Studio

Opera Lyra Ottawaĺ─˘s (OLO) Opera Studio is a training program for developing artists founded in 1999 by OLO Artistic Director Tyrone Paterson to help prepare young Canadian singers, stage directors, conductor/repetiteurs and stage managers for professional operatic careers, enabling them to move on to either more advanced training programs or the mainstage itself.

To request an audition, resumes should be sent by April 14 to the Education/Music Manager at music@operalyra.ca. All applicants must submit two letters of reference in sealed envelopes with the reference's signature across the seal. Letters of reference are to be mailed to:

Applicants will be notified at least 2 weeks prior to the audition as to whether or not they have been accepted for an audition. An accompanist will be provided at the audition at no cost to the applicant. Applicants may also bring their own accompanist. Audition requirements: 3 operatic arias of contrasting style, presenting at least two of the following languages: Italian, French, German, English.

LSM March 2008 Newsletter

April will see La Scł«ne Musicale release its special quarterly magazine dedicated to non-musical arts, La SCENA. We will feature Simon Brault, Director General of the National Theatre School of Canada, president of Culture Montrłęal, recipient of the Order of Canada, and a formidable advocate for the arts in Canada. As for our monthly edition of La Scena Musicale, we will pay tribute to internationally recognized pianist Anton Kuerti, one of the countryĺ─˘s most respected musicians and teachers. Currently a visiting professor at the Schulich School of Music at McGillUniversity, Mr. Kuerti was recently honoured with a Governor Generalĺ─˘s Performing Arts Award, a prestigious lifetime achievement prize. Other highlights include a look at violinist/composer Ruth Fazal and her remarkable piece, Oratorio Terezin, which will be performed in early May at Place-des-Arts. The composition is a stunning full-scale work for orchestra, choirs and soloists, and its text draws upon poetry written by children from the ghetto of Terezin during the Holocaust. Weĺ─˘ll also bring you up to speed on the latest developments on the proposed amendments to Bill C-10, federal legislation which would allow the Heritage Department to deny tax credits to artistic projects deemed to be offensive or not in the public interest. It goes without saying that artists across the country have soundly denounced the bill, calling it ĺ─˙censorshipĺ─¨ and ĺ─˙morality policingĺ─¨. Another story we are following very closely is the ongoing Chapelle Historique du Bon Pasteur saga. On March 10, the city of Montreal had unexpectedly announced the cancellation of all musical programming at the iconic venue, though a wave of demonstrations and protests from a wide variety of individuals and musical organizations, most notably the Conseil Qułębecois de la musique, pressured the city to overturn its decision and restore all activities initially planned at the Chapelle. While this is a great victory for the musical community of Montreal, we intend to keep a very close eye on all developments in this matter. We will include a variety of guides this month that will tie together both components of this special issue: International Summer Festivals (music and arts) and Canadian Spring Festivals (music and arts). We will also have a guide to 2008-09 Season Subscriptions. As always, our regular features this month include the Jazz and World music sections, CD and DVD reviews, and of course, the April regional music calendar.

New LSM Online Features: Blog and Newswire

We are proud to unveil the LSM Blog (www.scena.org/blog), which is the ideal place to check out commentary and news on music and the arts in Canada and around the world. Our writers will be posting regularly to keep you up to date on the latest developments throughout the musical world.

We would also like to tell you about our new free service called LSM Newswire. E-mail your press release to newswiresubsmit@scena.org. The text must be in the body of the e-mail. We will post it in our newswire page http://www.scena.org/blog/newswire. We will also put a direct link to your press release in the "LSM Newswire" section at the bottom of our home page http://en.scena.org. Please note that this service will not work with if the info is in a file attachment (PDF, Word, etc.). The text must be in the body of the e-mail.

Why advertise in La SCENA/La Scena Musicale?

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Want to reach the affluent, sophisticated, urban 35+ demographic, or professional and student musicians/artists?

Highly educated and with sophisticated tastes in culture and lifestyle: La Scene Musicale invites you into the lives of 100,000 Canadians. Our readers are passionate about music, dance, theatre, film, visual arts, as well as food, fashion and their homes.

Enclosed is more info on the next issues of La Scena Musicale, La SCENA, and The Music Scene. For more info on rates and production, please visit http://ads.scena.org, or contact our sales department directly at 514-948-2520 or sales@scena.org.

Tuesday, March 18, 2008

Playwright Daniel Lillford Interview on Art & Fine Living with Jona

Playwright, actor and director Daniel Lillford made a guest appearance on Art & FineLiving with Jona to air March 23rd and 26th, 2008.In a lively conversation, the creator of The Mystery of Maddy Heisler, to premiere at the Centaur Theatre in Montreal in late March, spoke candidly about his fascination with the two great wars of the last century, about his own family's strife in the German-occupied Channel Islands and about the making of the mystery which was already nominated for five East Coast awards.

The play is set in rural Nova Scotia during WWII, where a young local man falls in love with an older woman who arrives mysteriously and disappears in the midst of their rapturous love affair.Years later, the young man, now an aging mystery writer, is approached by a young woman carrying a small notebook, the contents of which open an unexpected door to the past.

Art & Fine Living with Jona is produced and hosted by Montrealer Jona Rapoport.The program showcases talents in theatre, music, opera, dance, literature and visual arts, with a delightful mix and commentary on fresh classical and jazz releases.The show airs on Sundays at 7pm and on Wednesdays at 3pm on Radio Shalom 1650 AM, and shows are archived on the host's page at www.radio-shalom.ca for downloading.

PRESS RELEASE

For immediate release

AN EVENING WITH Ohad NAHARIN

Thłęłótre Maisonneuve OF Place des Arts

April 3, 4, 5, 10 and 12 at 8 p.m.

Montrłęal, March 3, 2008 ĺ─ý Since he first began working in the 1980s, Israeli choreographer Ohad Naharin, known for his humour and poetic imagination, has developed a choreographic lexicon that ĺ─ţ eccentric, adroit and suffused with natural musicality ĺ─ţ plunges the audience into an intimate relationship with the surrounding world. On the heels of the phenomenal success of Minus One, commissioned by Les Grands Ballets Canadiens de Montrłęal in 2002 and staged in Montrłęal and abroad, Mr. Naharin is back with Danz, an inspired collage created especially for the dancers of Les Grands Ballets. This new work will be joined by two previous works: Kaamos, an atmospheric piece on the theme of ambiguity; and Arbos, a ballet that explores the visceral domain of impulse, passion and desire. Together, the three works form a masterful triptych. The performance takes place at Thłęłótre Maisonneuve of Place des Arts at 8 p.m. this April 3, 4, 5, 10 and 12.

"We know Mr. Naharin is no less than a genius because he takes the human body and turns it upside down, testing all of its limitations. He does not quote nor imitate ĺ─ţ it is all pure Naharin ..." (Habama, Israel)

Danz

A stunning retrospective of Mr. Naharin's work over the past nine years, Danz consists of sequences taken from Moshe (1999); Naharin's Virus (2001), winner of a Bessie award in New York; Three (2005), an astonishing series of imaginative movements; Telophaza (2005), a playful army of performers who group and regroup into squadrons; and Max (2007), a piece noted for its striking gestural language. From Three, Naharin has chosen the segment titled Humus, "an especially beautiful dance for nine women, who move as one mesmerizing organism." (The New York Times). Danz: an anthological work that bears the stamp of an artist at the height of his creative powers.

Kaamos

Taken from the ballet Z/Na, Kaamos,commissioned by the Nederlands Dans Theater in 1995, "plunges the viewer into an explosive futuristic world in which the only points of reference are symbols, sounds, words and gestures that seem to come to us from long, long ago" (Voir). It joined the Grands Ballets repertoire and was staged in Montrłęal in 2005. Though in Finnish the word kaamos refers to the long nights of northern winters, Mr. Naharin was more interested in conveying the singular quality that objects take on in the darkness, where they suddenly appear foreign. Performed to the music of Ivry Lider, Kaamos is "an apotheosis ... a harmony in black that plays on concealment and revelation. Faces and bodies are hidden then united in full light or revealed through transparency." (La Presse)

Arbos

Commissioned in 1989 by Australia's Sydney Dance Company and acquired by Les Grands Ballets in 2005, Arbos was enthusiastically received by Montrłęal audiences. For Mr. Naharin, Arbos is "a stone floating in the air" or "a space somewhere between heaven and hell, a sort of passageway to the place where wisdom dwells." The piece unfolds to Arvo Płžrt's choral score, to which Mr. Naharin superbly harmonizes the movements of his dancers, garbed in long red skirts. "Arbos reaches sublime heights without losing any of its humour or lucidity. This is where we see the considerable intelligence of Mr. Naharin, who is so apt at working with contrasts and reversals." (Le Devoir)

OHAD NAHARIN

As the creator of an energetic and exuberant gestural language, Mr. Naharin puts "pleasure" squarely at the heart of his dance. Artistic Director of the Batsheva Dance Company, since the early 1990s Mr. Naharin has worked hard to inject dance in Israel with a new impetus. In recent years, he has fine-tuned his own brand of advanced training, developed for his dancers. Dubbed "Gaga," the technique aims to sharpen sensorial perception, encourage free use of the imagination, and improve agility, flexibility and gestural impact.

The internationally renowned choreographer has received numerous awards and distinctions, including Chevalier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (France) and the 2005 Israeli Prize for dance. His choreography has brought Batsheva to world fame, while his works appear in the repertoires of such companies as Nederlands Dans Theater, Frankfurt Ballet, Ballet de l'Opłęra de Lyon, Madrid's Compał▒łéa Nacional de Danza, Sweden's Cullberg Ballet and Ballet de l'Opłęra de Paris. In 2004, he was awarded an honorary doctorate from Israel'sWeizmann Institute of Science for the scientific implications of his work.

"Ohad Naharin combines the mastery of a veteran classicist with the temperament of a young rocker ... A master of effect, a man of his time and blessed with a breathtaking imagination." (Le Figaro)

Ohad Naharin takes the stage at Thłęłótre Maisonneuve of Place des Arts on April3, 4, 5, 10 and 12 at 8 p.m.Tickets available at Place des Arts, 514-842-2112 /www.pda.qc.ca.

Pre-show talks will be held at Thłęłótre Maisonneuve before each performance, from 7 to 7:30 p.m.

DON'T MISS OUT: SUBSCRIBE TODAY!

For more information on subscribing to Les Grands Ballets Canadiens de Montrłęal, group rates and the many associated advantages, call 514-849-0269, consult the seasonal brochure or visit www.grandsballets.com, where you'll also find information on shows, the company and its dancers.

Thursday, March 13, 2008

PSO Showcases Music Director Robert Moody in Special Performance May 5

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

March 13, 2008

CONTACT:

Gillian Britt 207-775-2126

gBritt PR

PORTLAND SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA SHOWCASES MUSIC DIRECTOR DESIGNATE ROBERT MOODY IN A SPECIAL PERFORMANCE OF MAHLER'S SYMPHONY NO. 1 AT MERRILL AUDITORIUM MAY 5

PORTLAND, Maine ĺ─ý The Portland Symphony Orchestra is presenting a special low-price, hour-long concert designed to introduce incoming Music Director Robert Moody to Portland and the southern Maine community. All seats for this Podium Prelude Concert are $25 and Maestro Moody has selected the monumental Symphony No. 1 by Gustav Mahler. The concert is on Monday, May 5 at 7:30 p.m. at Merrill Auditorium and is a "prelude" to the PSO's season finale the following night.

Deborah Galarneau, President of the PSO's Board of Trustees, said, "We are thrilled to be able to offer the community a special prelude presentation of Mahler's entire first symphony at a much-reduced price. This is a one-and-only opportunity to see a particularly powerful symphony, led by Music Director Designate Robert Moody. I hope that people who have been curious about our new Music Director will take advantage of this concert and come see him conduct."

In addition to the $25 tickets for the May 5 concert there are a limited number of $150 tickets, which include Grand Tier seating and an exclusive cocktail reception at the Cumberland Club with Robert Moody. Those tickets can be purchased by calling the PSO office at (207) 773-6128.

Moody is also conducting the "Rumba Sinfonica" Pops concerts with Tiempo Libre in late April and Independence Pops in June and July. Subscriptions for the 2008-2009 season, Moody's first as Music Director, are on sale now.

Tickets for the Podium Prelude and other PSO performances are available now through www.porttix.com, by phone at 207-842-0800, or at the PortTix box office, 20 Myrtle St., Monday through Saturday from noon to 6 p.m.

World premier of Poet and Prophetess

Poet and Prophetessis a story based on two real-life tales of Europe vs. Africa in a time when the future of both continents was shaped, though with very different results. This newly written opera is about the young 18th century Swedish poet Bengt Linder, who was forced to travel with the East India vessel Terra Nova. The opera Poet and Prophetess is the culmination of NorrlandsOperan's successful collaboration with Cape Town Opera. NorrlandsOperan's resident composer Mats Larsson Gothe has contributed the music, with the libretto being written by Cape Town Opera's general manager Michael Williams.

For Immediate Release, Toronto, ON. February 29, 2008: - Two world-renowned Canadian opera singers, tenor Michael Schade and baritone Russell Braun, return to Roy Thomson Hall on Friday, March 28 at 8:00 p.m. for their 2nd collaborative appearance on the International Vocal Recitals series. Their "debut" duo recital at Roy Thomson Hall on this series was almost ten years ago, in September 1998. Then, they were called "rising" stars; today, they are hailed as "super" stars!

Michael Schade and Russell Braun each enjoy thriving international performing careers as soloists with the world's leading orchestras and opera companies. The Toronto-based artists are stars at La Scala, Covent Garden, the Metropolitan Opera, Vienna State Opera and more. As well, these two good friends are equally well known for their duo recital performances throughout the USA, Europe, the UK and Canada.

For their Roy Thomson Hall recital they offer an exhilarating program of solos and duets by Mendelssohn, Schubert, Schumann, Tchaikovsky, Wolf, Lysenko, and a Viennese medley arranged by Canadian composer John Greer. Once again, the esteemed Canadian pianist Carolyn Maule (Braun's wife) accompanies them.

Michael Schade was named a Kammersłžnger by the Austrian government in 2007, the country's highest award for a singer. Highlights of his 2007-2008 season include performances with the symphonies of Chicago, Montreal and Toronto, the Berlin Philharmonic and the Vienna Virtuosi; recitals and concerts in Bucharest, Amsterdam, Rome, Munich and Vienna; and opera appearances in Vienna, Luxembourg, Hamburg and at the Salzburg Festival. His impressive discography includes the Juno Award-nominated solo albums Die SchłĆne Mł║llerin and Of ladies and love...; and the Grammy Award-winning recording of Bach's St. Matthew Passion.

Russell Braun began his 2007-2008 season as the conniving Count in the Canadian Opera Company's production of The Marriage of Figaro. His opera calendar also includes the role of Wolfram in the San Diego Opera's production of Tannhłžuser; as Le Gentil in the world premiere of Victor Davies' Transit of Venus with Manitoba Opera; as Figaro in the Metropolitan Opera in the Park's performances of The Barber of Seville; and a return to the Salzburg Festival in Romeo et Juliette. He recently added to his extensive discography with releases of the Grammy Award-nominated Das Lied von der Erde and the Juno Award-nominated Die Winterreise.

Award-winning collaborative albums: In addition to their individual recording credits and honors, Schade and Braun have collaborated on three albums for CBC Records. Two are Juno Award winners: Mozart Arie e Duetti (2007), and Soirłęe Franł▀aise (1998) which also received the prestigious Gabriel Faurłę Award in France; and Serata Italiana (2001), an album of Italian opera arias and duets, which earned a Juno Award nomination.

Upcoming: The Music Scene Ontario (Spring 2008)

Advertise in The Music Scene Ontario, promoting classical music in Canada for 6 years. Reach over 50,000 readers with 25,000 copies distributed in Ottawa and Toronto. The Music Scene Ontario contains award-winning editorial features and product reviews; readers consult each issue 4.5 times a month, generating 225,000 viewings.

Content (Special Opera Issue):

On the cover: Canadian soprano Isabel Bayrakdarian and Canadian baritone Russell Braun partner in Debussy's Pelleas et Młęlisande at the Canadian Opera Company. Exclusive Interview.

Interview with Measha Brueggergosman who will be singing in Mozart's Idomeneo with Opera Atelier

Profile of Vancouver soprano Simone Osborne who was the lone Canadian winner at the 2008 Metropolitan Opera Auditions

[Montreal] Leonard Cohen returns to a Montreal stage for the first time in 15 years!

News release

For immediate distribution

A Festival prelude with three nights at PdA!Leonard Cohenreturns to a Montreal stagefor the first time in 15 years!Tickets go on sale this Thursday at noon!

Montreal, Tuesday, March 11, 2008 ĺ─ţ This summer, the Festival International de Jazz de Montrłęal has the immense privilege of welcoming legendary Montreal poet and singer Leonard Cohen. It's a rare and long-awaited visit from the internationally acclaimed singer-songwriter, who will perform three pre-opening concerts for his fellow citizens as part of this 29th edition, on June23, 24 and 25, in Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier, Place des Arts. Tickets go on sale this Thursday, March 13 at noon.

Last night, Cohen was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in a ceremony at the Waldorf Astoria in New Yorkĺ─ţand it was about time, too! At 73, Montreal poet, novelist, songwriter and singer Leonard Cohen truly merits the label "immortal": an icon of song as well as literature, he is considered one of the most important and influential songwriters of our time! A great humanist, his songs explore the issues of spirituality, religion, sexuality, power, loneliness, interpersonal relationshipsĺ─ţsimply put, the human condition. His profound exploration of these mysteries probably inspired his retreat to a Buddhist monastery from 1994 to 1999.

Faced with our attempts to categorize his musicĺ─ţis it folk with a touch of country or jazz?ĺ─ţCohen offers the title "European blues." In fact, Cohen's work is itself a category: through 40 years of song, classics such as So Long, Marianne, Bird on a Wire, Hallelujah and Everybody Knows have forged a resolutely unique, inimitable body of work. We'll be reminded of this soon enough, because four years after his last album (Dear Heather, 2004), the singer with the singularly deep voice is talking about a new release for this year. Back in Montreal, the native city that still holds his friends, his house, and his heart, Cohen will grace the Festival with new songs as part of his tourĺ─ţthe first since The Future brought him to the Forum in June 1993!

A living legend? The facts speak for themselves! Renowned for his poetry and novels since the 1950s, his songs and albums have marked our collective memory forever, making him one of the most famous Montrealers on the planet. Cohen has had an immeasurable influence on succeeding generations of songwriters. Onstage, on record, or in the documentary tribute Leonard Cohen: I'm Your Man by Lian Lunson, they line up to sing his praises: from Judy Collinsĺ─ţwho scored a hit with Suzanne, inspired by the wife of Cohen's friend, sculptor Armand Vaillancourt !ĺ─ţto artists from every genre, including Franł▀oise Hardy, Johnny Cash, Rufus Wainwright, Joe Cocker, k.d. lang, Our Lady Peace, Tori Amos, Neil Diamond, U2, Peter Gabriel and Nana Mouskouri! All told, there are over 1,200 cover versions of his songs! That, ladies and gentlemen, is a universal and immortal musical signature!

Tickets on sale this Thursday, March 13 at noon

Tickets for these new concerts go on sale this Thursday, March 13 at noon. Tickets will be available at the main box office at Młętropolis (59 Ste. Catherine St. E.) and the Place des Arts box office (175 Ste. Catherine St. W.), at 514-842-2112 or at laplacedesarts.comand from Admission, at admission.com or at 514-790ĺ─Ű1245.

To get the jump on the crowd, sign up for the Spectra Newsletter and have the scoop on the Festival International de Jazz de Montrłęal, the MMIS and the Montreal Guitar Show emailed to your inbox. For more information, call the Bell Infoĺ─ŰJazz Line at 514 871ĺ─Ű1881, toll-free at 1 888 515ĺ─Ű0515, or visit montrealjazzfest.com.

Monday, March 10, 2008

Jazz Returns to Stratford in Summer

In Oscarĺ─˘s Footsteps - jazz concert series at Pazzo Ristorante, Bar and Pizzeria

Friday and Saturday evenings only

Stratford, ONĺ─Â A new jazz series, In Oscarĺ─˘s Footsteps, will be a highlight of Stratford Summer Music 2008. Eight concerts with artists inspired by, or associated with, the late Oscar Peterson will be presented on Friday and Saturday nights at Pazzo Ristorante, 70 Ontario Street, in downtown Stratford from July 21 to August 16, 2008. Dinner with jazz or evening cocktails with jazz are the new options joining the other 80 concerts and events in this yearĺ─˘s music festival.

Jazz at Pazzo will feature, on July 25, 26, pianist Robert Botos (2004 winner of the international Montreux Jazz Festival Young Artist Prize, sponsored by TIME Magazine); on August 1, 2, The Brian Dickinson Trio (two-time Juno Winners); on August 8,9, pianist Lorraine Desmarais (winner of the 2002 Oscar Peterson Award at the Montreal International Jazz Festival); and on August 15, and 16, Dave Young (Oscarĺ─˘s colleague on bass for 25 years);

ĺ─˙We want to salute Oscar Peterson and to remember how he appeared in this city as early as 1956,ĺ─¨ said John Miller, Stratford Summer Musicĺ─˘s Artistic Producer. ĺ─˙Iĺ─˘m only sorry that this remarkable musician, whom many appreciate as the greatest jazz pianist of his generation, wonĺ─˘t be here to accept the invitation we all intended to extend to him to come back and be honored in our city.ĺ─¨

WFMT Radio Network to Webcast Massive Mahler Symphony March 15 From Quebec City

LIVE FROM QUEBEC CITY:WFMT RADIO NETWORK TO WEBCAST MASSIVEMAHLER SYMPHONY CONCERT MARCH 15

With Exclusive Rights, Leading Classical BroadcasterTo Air and Stream French Canadian Capital's400th Birthday Kickoff Concert

CHICAGO, March 10, 2008 ĺ─ţ The WFMT Radio Network has announced it will produce and distribute the exclusive live radio broadcast and Web simulcast of the historic March 15 concert of Gustav Mahler's massive Symphony No. 8 from Quebec City.

The concert, to be staged with 1,000 performers in the cavernous Colisłęe Pepsi sports arena, will launch the French Canadian capital's year-long 400th anniversary celebration.

The two-hour concert presentation will be streamed live at 7:30 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (00:30 Greenwich Mean Time March 16) at www.wfmt.com. Web access is free.

The concert will also air live over 98.7/WFMT, Chicago, the network's flagship station, and is being offered free, for live or later broadcast, to any radio station that's interested, said Steve Robinson, WFMT's general manager and executive producer for the Mahler broadcast.

Mahler's Eighth Symphony, written in 1906, is also known as the "Symphony of a Thousand" because of the enormous number of orchestral musicians and singers it requires. It's rarely performed with the full, large-scale forces that will be assembled on one stage for the Quebec City concert.

Maestro Yoav Talmi will conduct the Quebec Symphony Orchestra, the Trois-Rivił«res Symphony Orchestra, and other orchestras; a combined chorus from more than a dozen vocal ensembles; and eight vocal soloists.

"It's going to be exciting to hear what this gargantuan Mahler symphony sounds like on the radio and on the Web," Robinson said.

A WFMT team consisting of on-air hosts Lisa Flynn (and a co-host to be named), producer Peter Whorf, and engineer Eric Arunas will be in Quebec City for the special broadcast.

"To remain relevant, broadcasters need to offer unique, high-value programs online and over the air," Robinson said. "At the same time, the WFMT Radio Network's celebratory symphony broadcast from Quebec City recalls the Golden Age of network radio, when live coverage of important cultural events at home and overseas received high priority."

The cost of the broadcast is being underwritten by the Quebec Ministry of Tourism, Canadian Tourism Commission, and Tourism Quebec.# # # #Press information contact:

Ms Cherniak is the co-artistic director of Theatre Columbus in Toronto and will besharing her thoughts on new play development in Canada, specifically as relates to I, Claudia. For I, Claudia, The Record's Robert Reid said, "Leah Cherniak's direction is flawless."

Theatre Columbus has created over 25 new plays and has an excellent reputation for innovative productions of classics. For Theatre Columbus, Leah has directed most of the company's repertoire, including, Hotel Loopy, Gynty (an adaptation of Ibsen's Peer Gynt), The Barber of Seville, Paranoia, Lonely Nights and Other Stories, The Betrayal, The Cherry Orchard and Twelfth Night, among many others. She co-created and directed the multi-award winning play, The Anger in Ernest and Ernestine. Leah also directs for The Tarragon Theatre, The Lorraine Kimsa Theatre for Young People, Blyth Festival and Thousand Islands Playhouse among others. Leah teaches an intensive clown course for The Ryerson Theatre Program as well as teaching at The National Theatre School in Montreal.

Sunday, March 16, 2008

11 AM

Coffee and refreshments will be served in the lobby

(Tickets on sale now for the first preview of I, Claudia at 1:30 pm)

At the Leanor and Alvin Segal Theatre, 5170 Cote Ste. Catherine Rd.

FREE ADMISSION!!No reservations necessary, general admission

The Leanor and Alvin Segal Theatre and Theatre and Company in association with Delav Consulting presents

Composer Thomas Beveridge on Art & Fine Living with Jona

"Jona is a brilliant and sensitive interviewer. Talking with her about contemporary art and music has been an eye-opening experience.

Her unique radio program is a journalistic jewel that should be supported by anyone who cares about culture and creativity."

Composer Ofer Ben-Amots

For Immediate Release:

March 10, 2008:

An interview with American Composer Thomas Beveridge will be aired on Art & Fine Living with Jona in March 2008. Beveridge is a distinguished musician recognized for his abilities as singer, oboist, composer, arranger and conductor.He currently holds the positions ofArtistic Director of the New Dominion chorale; Artistic Director of the National Men's Chorus and Director of Music at Western Presbyterian Church in Washington.Beveridge has received many distinguished commissions and created hundreds of works, among them a unique ecumenical cantata which interweaves elements of the traditional memorial services of Judaism and Christianity titled "Yizkor Requiem Č˝ A Quest for Spiritual Roots". The work premiered in 1994.

The interview with the composer focuses on the genesis and inspiration for the cantata, featuring select tracks from the Naxos Milken Archives 2000 release with Sir Neville Marriner and the Academy and Chorus of St. Martin in the Fields.

Art & Fine Living with Jona is aired on Radio Shalom 1650 AM in Montreal, and can be accessed live stream on the radio's website at www.radio-shalom.ca.All shows are archived on the Jona's page for downloading.

Saturday, March 8, 2008

John Mac Master to sing Tristan at the Metropolitan Opera

Canadian tenor John Mac Master will replace an indisposed Ben Heppner in the opening night performance of Tristan und Isolde at New York's Metropolitan Opera this Monday evening March 10 at 7:00 PM.

The production is by Dieter Dorn, and will be conducted my Metropolitan Opera Music Director James Levine. The cast includes Deborah Voigt as Isolde, Michelle de Young as Brangaene, and Matti Sallonen as King Marke.

The performance will also be broadcast on Sirius Satellite Radio, and is available on-line from Sirius as well.

Mac Master made his Metropolitan Opera debut as Canio in I Pagliacci in 2005; he first sang the role of Tristan last season for Welsh National Opera. This season he was heard as Otello for Opera de Quebec, Canio for Vancouver Opera, in a concert of excerpts of Wagner's GłĆtterdłžmmerung with Leipzig's Gewandhaus Orchestra, and with the Barcelona Symphony for Schoenberg's Gurrelieder. - - - - --For further information please contact: Henry Ingram, Dean Artists Management henry@deanartists.com

Thursday, March 6, 2008

Canadian Opera Comapny Completes Capital Campaign to Build the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts

For immediate release: March 6, 2008

CANADIAN OPERA COMPANY COMPLETES CAPITAL CAMPAIGN TO BUILD THE FOUR SEASONS CENTRE FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS

Toronto, ON ĺ─ý The Canadian Opera Company (COC) is very proud to announce the completion of the Capital Campaign to build the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts, Canadaĺ─˘s new opera house. The campaign, which began in the early summer of 2002, raised $186 million, which included a final cash goal of $155 million and the gift of the land from the Province of Ontario valued at $31 million.

A recent $5 million personal gift from Toronto philanthropists Isadore and Rosalie Sharp effectively completed the campaign. In recognition of their support, the main lobby of the Four Seasons Centre will now be known as the Isadore & Rosalie Sharp City Room. As Founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, Mr. Sharp was also instrumental in the campaign securing $20 million in June 2002 to name the opera house, the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts.

The campaign received many other lead gifts in the last few months that pushed it to its conclusion. Significant contributions came from Gerald and Geraldine Heffernan, Arthur and Susan Scace, Peter and Shelagh Godsoe, The Catherine and Maxwell Meighen Foundation, Xstrata, Tim and Frances Price, Rudy and Cathy Bratty, Tony and Anne Arrell, and Paul A. Bernards. These gifts, as well as several others, represented an additional $5 million for the campaign.

Twenty-nine individuals, corporations and foundations donated over $1 million each to the campaign, with the COC Board contributing a combined total of over $22 million. (See attached donor list.) In all, over 5,500 individuals, corporations and foundations contributed to the campaign.

ĺ─˙On behalf of the Campaign Cabinet and the Canadian Opera House Corporation, I am extremely proud that our campaign was completed successfully and in a timely fashion,ĺ─¨ says Arthur R. A. Scace, Co-chair of the Campaign Cabinet. ĺ─˙Along with my fellow Co-chairs Peter Godsoe and Gerald Heffernan, I would like to thank the members of the cabinet, all of our donors, as well as the campaign staff, who worked diligently to make this dream possible.ĺ─¨

David Ferguson, President of the COC Board adds, ĺ─˙The Canadian Opera Company is enormously grateful for the thousands of donations that contributed to the completion of our campaign. Everyone who participated should be proud of their accomplishment and the knowledge that they helped build the first real opera house in this country, and one of the best in the world.ĺ─¨

Final campaign costs to build the Four Seasons Centre totalled $186 million ĺ─ý less than 3% over the projected budget of $181 million (including a cash goal of $150 million and the value of the land at $31 million) which was created in 2002. The modest overage was due mainly to some changes to the original design materials, the construction of the TTC entrance and increased interest rates.

The Capital Campaign began May 31, 2002 with the announcement of joint Federal / Provincial capital funding under the Canada-Ontario Infrastructure Program, at which the Federal government donated $25 million and the Province donated the land valued at $31 million. Three weeks later Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts donated $20 million as the naming donor of the building.

Groundbreaking took place on April 11, 2003 along with an announcement of a $10 million gift from The Fraser Elliott Foundation to name the auditorium, and $13 million from the COC Board. Twenty leadership gifts totalling $35 million were announced in January of 2005 including $7 million from The Catherine and Maxwell Meighen Foundation and E. Louise Morgan. In March 2006 The Honourable Henry N. R. Jackman donated $5 million to name the lounge on Queen Street, and the Province of Ontario contributed a further $10 million in cash towards the campaign.

Inaugural celebrations for the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts took place in June, 2006, including a ribbon-cutting ceremony on June 11, 2006 and a Gala Inaugural Concert on June 14, 2006 which was simulcast into Nathan Philips Square as a free performance. The first opera was performed in September 2006 with the COCĺ─˘s historic and acclaimed production of Richard Wagnerĺ─˘s monumental Ring Cycle. Designed by Diamond and Schmitt Architects Inc., the Four Seasons Centre has been acclaimed by audiences and critics alike for its superb acoustics and sightlines and is already generally acknowledged as one of the best opera houses in the world. The COC performed to 99% capacity in its inaugural 2006/07 season.

About the Canadian Opera Company

Based in Toronto, the Canadian Opera Company is the largest producer of opera in Canada and one of the largest in North America, and has an international reputation for artistic excellence and creative innovation. The COC currently enjoys a remarkable 99% attendance rate for its mainstage season of seven operas. The companyĺ─˘s new home, the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts, was designed by Diamond and Schmitt Architects Inc. and is Canadaĺ─˘s first purpose-built opera house. The contemporary expression of a traditional five-tiered, European horseshoe-shaped auditorium was specifically designed for opera with the highest level of acoustics in mind and provides unparalleled intimacy between the audience and the stage. Acclaimed as one of the best opera houses in the world, the

Four Seasons Centre is also the performance venue for The National Ballet of Canada.

Monday, March 3, 2008

"It is difficult to think of anyone before the public today who equals her exceptional gifts for embracing a poetic text and giving it new and deeper life through music." (Journal of Singing, 2007)

Canadian artist manager and publicist Jona Rapoportwill be representing American composer Lori Laitman worldwide. Ms Rapoport has managed the career of several classical vocalists in the past, and is currently the producer and host of the radio program "Art & Fine Living with Jona" on CJRS 1650 in Montreal. She is listed in the international directory of Musical America.

Lori Laitman is one of America's most prolific and widely performed composers of art song.She has composed nearly 200 songs, setting the words of classical and contemporary poets to music, among them the lost voices of poets who perished in the Holocaust.The composer's first opera, "Come to Me in Dreams" premiered by Cleveland Opera in 2005, and her upcoming opera, based on Nathaniel Hawthorne's "The Scarlet Letter",to libretto by poet David Mason, will premiere at The University of Central Arkansas in the fall of 2008.

In a review of her latest compilation, "Becoming a Redwood", the prestigious Gramophone Magazine remarked: "An extraordinarily impressive achievementČÍ [which indicates] increasing evidence of a major talent. Lori Laitman's beautiful, sensitively crafted songs deserve to be performed widely". A review of her 2000 release, "Mystery Č˝ The Songs of Lori Laitman" by Opera News says: "Composer Lori Laitman knows how to let the voice soar and exploreČÍspinning lyrical neo-romantic vocal lines over shifting post-modern sonorities". A Journal of Singing review of her 2003 album, "Dreaming",posits her firmly alongside another legendary composer:"This is a stunning collection of widely varied songs by one of the finest art song composers on the scene today...Lori Laitman deservedly stands shoulder to shoulder with Ned Rorem for her uncommon sensitivity to text, her loving attention to the human voice and its capabilities, and her extraordinary palette of musical colors and gestures".

Lori Laitman graduated magna cum laude from YaleCollege and received her Master of Music degree in flute performance from The Yale School of Music. Her recordings are available on her website, www.artsongs.com, as well as Amazon and ITunes.Sheet music can be ordered from Classical Vocal Reprints (1-800-298-7474), www.classicalvocalrep.com.